Spoilers for The Last of Us episode 7 below!On the heels of HBO’s The Last of Us episode 7, Storm Reid takes on the franchise’s homophobic critics. Titled “Left Behind,” the series’ latest episode sees Reid star as Riley, Ellie’s (Bella Ramsey) best friend from the Boston Quarantine Zone. After dragging an injured Joel (Pedro Pascal) to a hidden location, the story jumps back to a time before Ellie’s cross-country trek. When Riley returns to the FEDRA school after a long absence, she takes Ellie out for a fun night at the mall.
Speaking with Variety, Reid addresses The Last of Us‘ homophobic critics. The actor recalls Ramsey’s earlier response to homophobic criticism and tells the show’s detractors to get their “priorities straight.” Read all of what Reid said below:
“Like Bella said when episode 3 came out: If you don’t like it, don’t watch. We are telling important stories. We’re telling stories of people’s experiences, and that’s what I live for. That’s what makes good storytelling because we are telling stories of people who are taking up space in the world. It’s 2023. If you’re concerned about who I love, then I need you to get your priorities straight. There’s so many other things to worry about in life. Why are you concerned that these young people — or anybody — love each other? Love is beautiful, and the fact that people have things to say about it, it’s just nonsense.
How The Last of Us Addresses Queer Representation
Although the original The Last of Us video game includes queer characters, HBO’s adaptation enhances representation to a great degree – specifically episode 3, which takes the relationship between Bill and Frank and further expands on it. In the original game, Joel and Ellie meet with Bill and the three go on a quest to locate a working car engine. There they find Frank dead and only learn about his feelings for Bill in a note. However, The Last of Us episode 3 features the full breadth of Bill (Nick Offerman) and Frank’s (Murray Bartlett) relationship, from their first meeting to their tragically beautiful deaths.
Episode 3 was praised by critics and fans alike, singling out the performances from Offerman and Bartlett as well as the writing. The Last of Us show co-creator Craig Mazin expressly avoided gay tropes to provide an honest portrayal of a gay relationship. However, a loud minority targeted the episode on social media and review-bombed the show. Offerman and Ramsey subsequently took aim at the critics, responding to the backlash.
The Last of Us episode 7, “Left Behind” directly adapted the original video game’s post-launch downloadable content of the same name which depicts Ellie and Riley’s last night together. The story confirms Ellie’s sexual identity through her romantic kiss with Riley following a dance at an abandoned mall. Immediately after the episode aired, fans took to social media and praised the actor’s on-screen chemistry and The Last of Us’ positive portrayal of a queer relationship.
